Test Of Principles
by Ricorel
Summary: A Servant's struggles
1. Chapt 1 Test

In my previous life, I was posed with a question by my mentor, 'If hell was paradise, where do you think I am?'

It was a simple question.

But for some reason, I couldn't answer.

Being in a place like that was too horrible to contemplate.

Even now.

When I was in hell's hell.

* * *

Fighting losing wars like a fanatic.

No, like an idiot. That was what being a Templar Knight was about. Serving King Arthur was all I had ever dreamed of and she didn't deserve what her had people did to her.

What I did to her.

I was the one who had sparked the rebellion against that kingdom of hers and at that time, it was the only thing that we could think of doing.

Having forsaken my principles and my morality when I went against the King and impaled the King in the back with my spear, I went against an unwritten code of hundreds of years.

After that day, my regrets poured back into my world, my life, and that was when I had lost my identity of being Rafale Straughn, a hero and champion of justice, that was when I became known as Cross, as per the scars that I had inflicted upon myself upon my head which resembled a cross.

I had no choice.

I became a Servant.

A Lancer at that

Little did I know, the King had an obligation to fulfill.

And little did I know, my actions had forced her to become a Servant and to be part of the unholy war.

The War of the Holy Grail.

* * *


	2. Chapt 2 Stupid Boy

* * *

In the end, no matter how much he compromised, moving at speed around Fuyuki City like he was was not a good idea.

The inevitable truth was, a spear was sometimes a very unwieldy weapon in such an urban environment.

But he had adapted, three hundred and fifty years in this world did that to a Servant, especially one that had been this well trained.

* * *

At two kilometers away from Fuyuki High School, he was observing.

Oh yes, he was observing very very intently.

Instead of the dead silence of night in the school.

There were weapons forged by pairs of hands that strived for perfection clashed loudly in the night.

The War of the Holy Grail had just begun.

* * *

_Already, just ten years after the previous Grail War, another one had begun? That child of Emiya had had better watch out. For he would have in his presence my King. _

Cross started making his way towards the school.

A fight with Servants of the Archer class and the Lancer class at close range would usually tilt into the spear user's favour with more expertise and a better weapon for close quarters combat that could be used more than adequately, but that was only when the Servant of the Archer class was more of a devout user of long range weapons such as a bow.

But that was not the case.

For as to the shock of the Lancer Servant Cross, the fight seemed to be pretty evenly matched, even with the advantage of the legendary spear, Gae Bolg, the spear of impaling barbed death on one side of the fight.

The question now was, who was that Archer Servant?

To that, there didn't seem to be an answer, even with the uniqueness of an _Archer_ class Servant bearing dual short blades so efficiently.

To his identity, that Servant seemed to be an enigma.

One more problem stopping him from serving his King.

* * *

But he couldn't deny it though, he felt a funny sort of respect for that Archer Servant, who didn't rely or perhaps use their usually signature weapon but took the rational course of action and used a more appropriate weapon instead.

Similar to Cross perhaps, for he too used both his personally crafted spear and also a short bow which allowed him to adapt to the circumstances better than most Lancer class spearmen.

That is, if the Lancer used a spear at all.

* * *

But the fight would eventually tilt into the Lancer Servant's favour though, no matter how hard the Archer would inevitably try, that legendary Gae Bolg was undoubtedly the best suited for that fight in the school's courtyard. And the Archer Servant would 'die' of course.

But that was only in theory, which changed when an idiot of a boy was spotted watching the fight.

That boy would of course inevitably die. Either by the hands of the fight's combatants or by his.

* * *

Having sensed that the fight had stopped, even if postponed for awhile, he moved to intercept that bystander who was no longer innocent to the fights of the War of the Holy Grail.

Cross just did not realise how true that actually was.

_Stupid boy, he thought, as he thrust his spear into that chest._

That boy would have been dead if not for the events of the next few moments that created a paradox and problems like none other.

_Stupid boy._


	3. Chapt 3 Possibilities

His anger was his main driving force.

The anger of the Cross.

His anger at not recognizing the foolish boy for what he was. In the darkness of the night it was near impossible distinguish who he was, and now he was dead. And perhaps his chances of retrieving the Excalibur's scabbard.

Even with the healing prowess of the scabbard within the Emiya boy, such a fatal hit from the cursed Gae Bolg wouldn't be one without consequences.

But he had to persevere as there was still was hope.

He would inevitably meet his King who would undoubtedly be summoned by that boy.

His King had a _connection_ to that boy.

No, not the boy, but the scabbard within him.

But the curse of Gae Bolg might have contaminated the scabbard itself.

So? There was no choice then. Since that magus master of the Tosakas had healed him, but the healing did not heal the scabbard.

Almost nothing could.

But he was going to use the exception.

Of which when the scabbard was cleansed, most probably he would be so weak he wouldn't be able to walk, nor defend King Arthur.

What problems make this problematic dilemma placed him into an extremely problematic situation.

He let out an extremely audible sigh in the silence of night.

He let his disgust of himself, who was supposed to be a champion of justice, wash over him.

Unable to see another solution. He just remained just outside of the Emiya household.

Watching.

Learning.

Observing.

Adapting.

When he, a former champion of justice, struck the first strike against that Servant. Fear was shown on this face, for he was Rafale Straughn who was undetectable in night or day. His charge was unusual, he sacrificed his midnight blue spear so as to gain an extra measure of surprise so as to draw his daggers.

But of course, the spear wasn't lost to the otherworld of course. He was the original creator. He could Trace it again.

He was struck again and again. But his enemy's blade was pitiful, it couldn't penetrate the cloak Rafale was wearing, the material required Mana to sustain but was light as a feather, harder than diamond.

Another Servant was dead.

How were they coming here?

No, that wasn't it. The problem was they weren't supposed to be here, they had no master.

But, just maybe there was. But that was impossible, because that would mean the last 9 rogue Servants all came from 9 different rogue Masters, 5 at the very least.

That was why it wasn't possible.


End file.
